Internet video is an extensive and varied medium. Just about anyone can make a little home movie and upload it for the world to see. This was true before Youtube hit the scene, there just wasn't one place where you could find it all. Part indulgence of common vanity, part pop culture blender and part launch pad for new talent, Youtube is rightly an international sensation.

Beginning as a quest to find the most absurd original videos on the site, Youtube Nation has evolved into a weekly column exploring the cultural impact of the world's most popular video aggregator. A lot of what the site has to offer is still laughably bad but there's enough remarkable stuff on Youtube to justify its place in the pantheon of pop culture juggernauts. Join me as I struggle to scratch the surface of this weird, amazing media outlet.